CA leaves Rome for home after Pope Francis funeral

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today left here for home a day after joining the funeral mass of Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.

He departed from the Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport around 09:30 am local time (01:30 pm Bangladesh Standard Time) on Sunday, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told BSS.

Prof Yunus is expected to reach home in the early hours on Monday.

Wrapping up his four-day Qatar tour on April 25, he flew directly to Rome to pay his last respect to his old friend, Pope Francis.

On Saturday, he joined the funeral of Pope Francis at Peter's Basilica.

Ahead of the funeral and after the service, the chief adviser exchanged greetings with some of the world leaders, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, EU President Ursula von der Leyen, former US President Joe Biden, President of Finland Alexander Stubb, Kenyan President, Montenegro President, Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, President of Ecuador, President of East Timor, Prime Minister of Honduras, President of Iceland, President of Portugal, the King and Queen of Belgium, Prime Minister of Belgium, Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince and Princess of Norway, Prime Minister of Tunisia, Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein, Director General of WHO, President of IOC, foreign ministers of Sri Lanka, Bahrain and Syria, and a former US secretary of state.

On Saturday, Silvano Maria Tomasi, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, called on Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his hotel here.

Cardinal Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue George Jacob Koovakad also met the Chief Adviser at his hotel.

Besides, Uruguay Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin called on Prof Yunus at his hotel as well, reports BSS.